It pains me to say it, but I really think it pays dividends to consider the very obvious possibility that the people who are doing this are in general just not socially well-adjusted.

Everything about OpenAI speaks of people who do not put great value on shared human connections, no?

Hey, I like that artist. I am going to train a computer to produce nearly identical work as if by them so I can have as many as I like, to meet my own wishes.

Why is it surprising that it didn't really cross their mind that a virtual girlfriend is not a good look?

This is not an organisation that has the feelings of people central to its mission. It's almost definitionally the opposite.

Yes, it seEms a LOt of big Names in tech have this same problem. Curious that, isn't it?

I also think it is tipping their hand a bit. I know companies can do multiple things at once, but what might this flirty assistant focus suggest about how AGI is coming along?

Perhaps it is stumbling over the question of whether its creators are good people.

...because human brains enjoy being talked to in a flirty voice, and they benefit from doing things that their customers like? Doesn't seem that mysterious

Guess you are their target market.